A Theology of Enough

In my life I’ve kept company with guys who became wealthy by building companies and guys who became wealthy by ruling street corners through the drug game. Regardless of how they came into their wealth, many held the attitude of believing they were in control of their destiny because of the wealth they possessed. It is human nature to root our identity in our financial position.

Money does gives a certain measure of control over quality of life. Yet if we think the amount of wealth we have accumulated as the “it-factor” for life success then we don’t own our bank account. Our bank account owns us. The reality is money has no owners—just spenders! In light of this, what’s a Christian to do?

For three decades a few times a year I have breakfast with Bob. When we get together we do what I call the three F’s—discuss our faith, reminisce about our friendship, and discuss my ministry future. We met by happenstance.

It was literally my first day on the job in 1995, fresh out of Bible college, at a place called City Cure. Bob sat in my colleague’s office and shared with me his vision to sponsor a church plant in the inner-city of Cincinnati. “What a great idea,” I thought as I left our initial encounter. Little did I know that five years later I would be that church planter.

Bob was a businessman who felt that the whole reason God blessed him with wealth was to give most of it away. He has given over $100,000 to my former church plant; in fact, that is just one of the places he gives. His life is the greatest example of financial generosity I have ever seen.

As a minister of the Gospel one thing has become clear to me. When God wants something done he raises up people like Bob. I have found many Christians in his financial position have a longing to do something beyond building wealth. They see being generous as a ministry calling. They practice what I call a theology of enough.

The Bible teaches that spiritual and material matters are inseparable. Eternal consequences arise from decisions we make about material goods and their place in our lives. Because of these first two facts, there should be limits on both riches and poverty; we should practice generosity. Craig Blomberg has a list of Five Biblical Themes on Material Wealth in his book Neither Poverty Nor Riches: A Biblical Theology of Possessions. I invite you to take some time this month to ponder what God says about wealth and how we are to steward what He gives each of us. 

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